Maybe "tried to avoid" is a better description. The "Beer Tourists of America" itineraries in the 80s described recommended options at most stops, but the best available was often an AAL. And most of these outings were in the northeast, where there was a relatively bigger variety. When out for a beer with friends, or dinner with family, the choices were usually limited. At home we could indulge our preferences.
Yeah, well either "avoid" / "tried to avoid" are still much different than "worth drinking". The point (ignoring the year of Caligione's underage exploits with beer in high school, which we had in common) is the Dogfish Head brewery dates from 1995 - when, according to The Institute of Brewing Studies (predecessor org. to today's Brewers Association), there were already 803 "Regional Specialty Breweries, Microbreweries and Brewpubs" operating in the US. Hardly a pioneer. He tells of a negative reaction from "the industry" in 1997 when he presented an Apricot flavored beer (although the DFH website says Aprihop was first released in 2004?) yet blueberry and other fruits were already common in craft beers at the time - his current boss even had a cranberry-flavored beer as a regular release a few years earlier.
In the late 90s (?), I remember talking to our only local brewer at the time. He said that a good customer wanted a blueberry beer, which he then brewed up. He was stunned when it became a fast selling, regular offering. I have never tried it.
Yeah, my SO and I were in a large bar on Mount Desert Island in Maine in the 1990s and I notice across the bar people were drinking beer with something? in the bottom of the glass. "What the hell's in those guys' glasses?" Paid close attention to the bartender as he was pouring beers and finally saw that he was throwing in a small amount of blueberries in some of them, a local Maine brewery's blueberry ale. Now, you'd think it would already have tasted of blueberries ... but what do I know? Well, I do know that even those large Maine blueberries are too small and it'd be too time consuming to put them on the edge of the glass like lemons on wheat beer glasses and they wouldn't sit on the mouth of the bottle like a serving of Corona Extra.
I purchased a DFH IPA mix-pack this week. First DFH purchase in at least 5-yrs. I have to say I am enjoying them. The 60-minute in particular seems nostalgic to me. Although the hazy attempt falls a little short but its a crowded field.
Heading down to Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats tomorrow and couldn’t be more excited so definitely still relevant!
Can’t say I’ve read every post but can assume a wide range of opinions. I can remember sometime around 2019 or 2020 first noticing 60 Minute being poured around Bozeman, MT, and it made me excited to see an iconic brew at my local spots. While I understand the point of the question I guess I’ll always find Dogfish Head relevant because it’s a part of the American craft beer story.
A friend gave me a six pack of 90 minute a coupe of years ago. I actually thought it was pretty tasty. I have never bought it myself. There was a time when I would see it. That time has passed in my neck of the woods. I guess you could track it down.
All we get is the meh beers here the most part. I am surprised they are actually in the market here still.
I bought a 4 pack of 120 recently. If I see that or world wide, I may buy at least 1. But i can’t remember the last time I had something else by them.
A friend of mine recently saw 120 in a store in upstate NY. So it's still out there from time to time.
I never would have thought that my post would span 17 pages of comments including an official comment from Sam Calagione himself. Whether or not you consider dogfish head relevant doesn't negate that fact that they are still worthy of conversation and in some instances considerations.
Has PSM always been this reasonably priced (or was that considered a luxury priced beer 10-15 years ago or am I just jaded based on the cost of beer today)? Either way, I miss that beer. Burton Baton too.
They seem to have shared some info on a brewpub beer “Covered in Nuggs” saying it is headed for wider distribution, the cans also have new labels. I'm assuming that means making it to seasonal distro but I could be wrong. My dad shared a can with me a while back and it was an enjoyable IPA. It sort of reminded me of heady just with different flavor profile. Really nice resin and citrus quality with a really clean and bitter finish. Whether scaling it up changes it or not? I guess we'll see but if it does make it around its a fun beer to try.
In Maryland, we still get 120 Min and WWS 4 packs and/or single bottles in many bottle shops (usually $10 per bottle or $40 for 4 pack. I’ll pick up a single bottle at least once or 2x a year of each and they still are quite tasty. I wonder how profitable Stone’s throw back limited releases have been (I think most of us BAs have enjoyed and support these)? Would love to see DFH do something similar with all of their classics. They could rotate 1 special release each season and probably wouldn’t hit repeats for at least 2-3 years. I think there would be a lot of buyers. Rareness and scarcity still have much better flavor than always available on the shelf.
I was at the brewery a few weeks ago and the original owner was there, he was working in helping them expand the brewery in Milton. Here in Virginia we get all the Dogfish Head beers fairly fresh, except Palo Santo Marron, which I had to make a road trip to Delaware to purchase.
